Pagunsan takes PGT Order of Merit crown

Juvic Pagunsan, who shuffles his time playing in Japan and the Philippine Golf Tour, won the local circuit’s Order of Merit title even while playing just five of nine events.

The smooth-swinging Pagunsan won four of those tournaments in a row to establish a record as Asia’s former No. 1 amassed earnings of P2,070,000 to edge the multi-titled Tony Lascuña, also a former OOM winner, by mere P78,070.

Pagunsan, who also captured the OOM crown with a dominant performance in 2011 before making Japan his base, was actually on a break from the region’s most lucrative circuit when he signed up for the second leg of this year’s circuit in Bacolod.

He came out of the P2.5 million event a winner by seven over Rufino Bayron, scored an expected four-stroke romp over James Ryan Lam in the P3 million tournament in his hometown in Negros Occidental, foiled Michael Bibat in sudden death in Iloilo, another P3 million event, then came away with an eight-stroke victory over Lascuña in tough conditions at Riviera, a P2.5 million tournament, before resuming his campaign in Japan.

Dutch Guido Van der Valk, winner of the kickoff leg in Cebu, finished third with earnings of P1,234,575, followed by Pueblo de Oro leg winner Reymon Jaraula (P1,173,324). Michael Bibat rounded out the top five with earnings of P1,128,416.